ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, TENN. --
In a ceremony at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, Dec. 6, the 96th Test Group was deactivated and the 704th Test Group was activated under the commander of the Arnold Engineering Development Complex.

Additionally, Col. Andrew L. Allen, commander of the 704th TG, redesignated the 796th Test Support Squadron as the 704th TSS.
On Dec. 1, the Air Force realigned separate Air Force Test Center assets under AEDC at Arnold Air Force Base, Tenn. to include the then 704th TG, The Hypersonic Combined Test Force at Edwards AFB, California, and the McKinley Climatic Laboratory at Eglin AFB.

The 704th TG mission is to operate world-class test facilities for high speed sled track testing, navigation and guidance system testing, radar signature measurements, weapon systems flight testing, and act as the Air Force liaison for all Air Force programs tested at White Sands Missile Range. The 704th is instrumental for testing advanced avionics, weapons development, multiple Global Positioning System integration, landing gear and high-velocity impact.

The Squadrons that conduct the various tests of the 704th TG are the 586th Flight Test Squadron, the 746th Test Squadron-Guidance/Navigational Test and the 846th Test Squadron-Rocket Sled Tests.

The 704th Test Support Squadron oversees operational support to the 704th TG missions.

Additionally, the 704th TG has two geographically separated units: Operating Location (OL)-AA, located at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, and OL-AC, located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. OL-AA is responsible for directed energy and high energy laser testing, whereas OL-AC performs landing-gear and aircraft survivability tests.